Calvi class submarine
Italian Calvi-class submarine (Giuseppe Finzi)
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders: | Oderno-Terni-Orlando |
| Operators: |
 Regia Marina
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| Built: | 1935 |
| In commission: | 1936–1943 |
| Completed: | 3 |
| Lost: | 2 |
| Scrapped: | 1 |
| Preserved: | 0 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Submarine |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 277 ft (84 m) |
| Beam: | 25 ft (7.6 m) |
| Draught: | 17 ft (5.2 m) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | |
| Complement: | 66 |
| Armament: |
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| Notes: | |
The Calvi class was a class of three submarines built by Oderno-Terni-Orlando in Genoa for the Royal Italian Navy (Italian: Regia Marina). The submarines were built in 1935, and all three served in the Mediterranean at the start of the Second World War. The boats were transferred to the BETASOM German submarine base at Bordeaux in August 1940. In December 1941 the boats were used for a rescue mission of 254 sailors from the sunken German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis. After Calvi had been sunk, Finzi and Tazzoli were selected for conversion to "transport submarines" in order to exchange rare or irreplaceable trade goods with Japan. Cargo capacity of 160 tons reduced reserve buoyancy from 20–25% to 3.5–6%; and armament was reduced to defensive machine guns.
Pietro Calvi (pennant number CV) was launched 31 March 1935. The first war patrol was from Liguria to the Atlantic Ocean, and lasted from 3 July to 6 August 1940. After overhaul at La Spezia, Calvi sailed on 6 October 1940 for a second Atlantic patrol reaching Bordeaux on 23 October. Calvi suffered storm damage during its third patrol off the British Isles from 3 to 31 December 1940. The fourth patrol was between the Canary Islands and the Azores from 31 March to 13 May 1941. Calvi sailed on 1 August 1941 for a fifth patrol off the Canary Islands. During the sixth patrol from 7 to 29 December 1941 Calvi, Finzi and Tazzoli rescued sailors of the sunken raider Atlantis. The seventh patrol was off Brazil from 7 March to 29 April 1942. Calvi sailed on 2 July 1942 for its eighth patrol.Calvi was rammed and sunk on 14 July 1942 by convoy SL 115 escort HMS Lulworth. Three officers and 32 sailors survived.
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